AFRICA: Leaked information from the Panama Papers reveal entrepreneurs and corrupt officials across Africa used shell companies to hide profits from the sale of natural resources and the bribes paid to gain access to them.

AMERICAS: In the US, at least two people are dead and 14 others wounded in a shooting overnight at a nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida.

ASIA: Southeast Asian nations ended days of deadlock when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, after objections from Cambodia.

EUROPE: EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Turkey is not ready to become an EU member any time soon.

MIDDLE EAST: At least 17 people were killed by a car bomb outside the central Iraqi town of Khalis.

TECHNOLOGY: A close source said Verizon Communications will announce an agreement to buy Yahoo Inc for about USD 5B.

TOP STORY

Germany: Islamic motivation suspected in suicide bombing.

A Syrian asylum seeker exploded a suicide bomb outside a music festival in the southern city of Ansbach, injuring 12.

A German official says the Syrian man had already been denied asylum in Germany and was to be deported to Bulgaria.

The 27-year-old man detonated the device after being refused entry to the music festival and was killed by the resulting explosion.

Bavarian state police said it was unclear whether the man was an Islamist militant, and that investigations were continuing.

The man was under psychiatric treatment after at least two previous suicide attempts.

Region: Leaked information from the Panama Papers reveal entrepreneurs and corrupt officials across Africa have used shell companies to hide profits from the sale of natural resources and the bribes paid to gain access to them. (NYT)

Egypt: A gunman shot dead a police officer in north Sinai in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. (AFP)

Nigeria: A former militant group said it was holding talks with the government to end a wave of attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. (Reuters)

Zimbabwe: The government denounced leading independence war veterans as traitors for an unprecedented attack on President Robert Mugabe, calling him a dictator. (Reuters)

Mexico: Six men were arrested in connection with the murder of the mayor and four other people in the southern town of Chiapas. (AFP)

United States: At least two people are dead and 14 others wounded in a shooting overnight at a nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida. (AFP)

Venezuela: Electoral authorities will announce Tue 26JUL whether a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro can go ahead after verifying signatures on an opposition-organized petition. (AFP)

ASIA

Region: Southeast Asian nations ended days of deadlock when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, after objections from Cambodia. (Reuters)

Region: Singapore vowed to name and shame other banks engaged in money-laundering after Malaysian’s 1MDB scandal hurt the city-state’s financial reputation. (AFP)

Afghanistan: According to a new UN report, civilians are being killed and wounded in record numbers in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Australia: High-risk terror offenders may be kept in jail indefinitely, officials said as they move to tighten security laws. (AFP)

EUROPE

Region: , EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Turkey is not ready to become an EU member any time soon. (Reuters)

France: PM Valls said the country needs to rethink its security culture, amid the ongoing scandalous aftermath of the deadly Bastille Day attack in Nice. (AP)

Turkey: Authorities issued arrest warrants for over 40 journalists in a new phase of the controversial legal crackdown after the failed coup. (AFP)

Turkey: FM Mevlut Cavusoglu said he country’s ties with the US will be impacted if the US does not extradite the cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of masterminding a failed military coup. (Reuters)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: Rebels in Yemen fired a ballistic missile against a military base located in the southern Saudi region of Jizan. (EFE)

Iraq: At least 17 people were killed by a car bomb outside the central Iraqi town of Khalis. (BBC)